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Transient arrested Nov. 5 for assault, failure to register

POULSBO — A transient North Kitsap man was recently arrested after a series of run-ins with law enforcement. John M. Martinson, 28, is charged with failure to register as a sex offender, false or misleading statement to a public servant and fourth-degree assault.

Martinson was arrested on Nov. 5 at Clearwater Casino, where he had been permanently prohibited since 2008. According to the Kitsap County Sheriff's Office report, security recognized him around midnight and attempted to bring him to the security office. Martinson allegedly shoved the security office and attempted to escape; he was "quickly subdued," placed in handcuffs and taken to the security office.

The sheriff deputy found Martinson had a felony warrant for failure to register as a sex offender. He was convicted of indecent liberties in Jefferson County in 1998, and provided a Poulsbo address upon release from Kitsap County Jail in 2011. A deputy discovered in Mary 2012 Martinson had moved from the residence "several months ago." The report states Martinson is a level 1 risk offender, the lowest possible risk to the community.

Martinson was arrested for fourth-degree assault and first-degree criminal trespass and booked into Kitsap County Jail.

Another deputy who had an incident with Martinson in August then interviewed him in jail after seeing Martinson had been arrested.

On Aug. 25, a suspicious person was reported on Rhododendron Lane near Pioneer Hill Road in Poulsbo, carrying a machete and a baseball bat. According to the report, the deputy approached the suspect, later identified as Martinson, who was swinging the machete and carrying the bat, around 9:45 a.m.

The deputy noted that anyone walking in this area at that time of day was "unusual" and walking "in this manner, with items such as these warrants further investigation." The man would only give Martinson as his last name. When the officer moved toward him, Martinson allegedly turned and ran up Pioneer Hill and in the direction of the machete and bat. The deputy drew his service weapon to prepare, but Martinson ran past the items and continued running.

According to the report, the officer noted the weapons were secure and being the only North End deputy available, it wasn't safe to continue pursuit. The suspect slipped in a ditch, where the deputy found a lighter and a Washington State ID card for John M. Martinson. The officer called in a containment unit and K-9.

After Martinson was arrested Nov. 5, the deputy also booked him for providing false information to law enforcement from the August incident.

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